The Art of Asking
by Foxes' Dreams
Summary: The passion they put in the relationship was vaguely familiar. When Cameron has a flashback that makes limbs go numb, how will she react and how will she absorb the fact that the wedding bells can be sensed as a deaf tone? Collection of college AU drabbles. *Set mid 5x24 Both Sides Now, saccharine sweet, marital scenes*
1. Chapter 1 - Acceptance

The Art of Asking

He gave her a quick, casual kiss on the cheek first. Then came the hug, and it was the hug that always made her heart mush. Serious grip, cheek to the hair, eyes closed just a little sway. His hugs mattered, she thought, and made him impossible to resist."  
― Nora Roberts, _Savor the Moment_

_High school might or might not be the perfect place to start exploring; exploring the deep and unknown parts of the human feelings. It is considered to be the only life-lesson that teaches you how to endure and to make a failure look like a success. It was also described as the first moment of intense education. Many people tend to discover their future career. But, in front of a "happily ever after", is the obstacle, the trial that tries to set your wings free. It's simply called the freshman year. It's just the first layer of a multiple web. All you have to do is to find the absolute power to work and to defeat the first minutes of utter stress._

_Allison Cameron was one of the students that were trapped between two dirty-white walls; the class was filled with exceptionally-hard information. Her head was pounding intensely, so the cellular division was just a blur for her in that moment. She looked at her watch and started counting silently the seconds remained until the moment when her old, wrinkled teacher would tell them their additional homework for the upcoming hour. The next was going to be held the next day, so the clock was ticking. She just glanced at the long list of subjects she needed to prepare. Her reading lasted only a second, then exhaustion and sadness overwhelmed her. She was frustrated because she had to face the strongest effect of all ever known. She was seduced and then abandoned. She had been simply betrayed. But past needed to remain forgotten. She was finally tired of living in the past._

_Allison stared at the blackboard blankly, trying to copy at least the essential notions. She made the mistake of staying in the last desk, the only one that was isolated form the watchful eyes of her colleagues. Even though the classroom was the one owned by her form master, and she knew it by heart, she was still feeling strange, like she didn't belong in the science course. Maybe the feelings of distress were causing confusing states of mind. Only four desks in front of the petite brunette, stood Robert Chase, the cleverest guy from the whole promotion and most likely to become the perfect model of a life bathed in money and accomplishment. Rumors said that his career was already set; he was going to become a renowned surgeon –like his father had instructed him to-._

_In that moment, his biggest concern was the sad figure that was focusing on her scrabbled handwritten notes. He had heard about her mental breakdown, triggered by her hurt feelings. Maybe it was his business to console her; not just because she was one of his closest friends, his supreme reason was, in his mind, the link that he had always felt. He truly felt that people were cruel in that moment. From all the dates ever created in the calendar, all 365, the only one chose for her let down had to coincide with her birthday. This was the indication which showed that people are cold-hearted._

_He decided to act, so after the bell nervously rang, after all the present students had disappeared and after the biology teacher had left without saying a word, he stood up and began to walk, mobilizing his feet to move towards her. Allison sensed his presence, so she left her boring work and motioned slowly until she was equal to his height. They were just gazing into each other's eyes, admiring the tranquility they had always avoided. He cut off the long look that made their hearts race and reached for his back pocket and revealed a little bracelet which was composed by white and pink strands._

_"What's that?" Cameron inquired, hurt obvious in her eyes._  
_"Well, it's your birthday and I just thought it would be nice to give you something ...um, unique" Chase said, his insecurity visible as words left his mouth._

_She just nodded and pursed his lips violently, and watched as Chase gently slid the bracelet on her wrist. They hugged moments later, his arms encircling her body and his forearms tracing a patter on her lower back. His arms were like two diagonals leaving a deep mark on her saddle. She kept one of her arms free, butted to her torso. The other one was caressing his neck, only inches delimiting the soft skin of their flushed cheeks. In that quiet twinkling, only a shaking, musical voice interfered and cracked that beautiful picture they were showing._

_"I think everything has a start and an end" Chase whispered in her tiny ear, trembling on the high inclusions he made._

_"Maybe this is a start" Cameron finished, leaving a slight trace of hope after her words._

_They separated, just for taking a good gulp of oxygen and also for taking a step back to protect their sanity, to realize that they are still trapped in reality._

_Their eye shots were still glued; they were letting themselves drown in the depth of their sincerity. They were just like a flower blossoming, pureness running through their veins._

_They broke apart and they started to hear noise appearing in the hallway. People were gathering around in group just to head towards the canteen or other labs. They needed to hurry in order to free the class because the chemistry course was going to start in a matter of minutes. For Cameron that meant she was going to be a complete mess after the day ends. She absently remarked Chase walking away, his head turned a little to the left. She just processed the happening and shacked herself back to reality, the dream was over. Maybe time will set everything in order._

_Definitely a new start…_

* * *

Despite being 3 A.M., Allison was wide awake, the flashback sent chills to the entire body. At least she was smiling and had reminiscences about that first bond they experienced. She changed her position; she turned her back just to admire the sleeping figure that was lying peacefully on the soft mattress. She regained her posture, and then she admired the long-worn bracelet still hanging on her soft layer of skin. Her eyes trailed off, and spotted the little jewelry that accompanied her wristlet: a sparkling emerald surrounded by a circle of pave diamonds with baguettes on a platinum band, or simply an engagement ring.

**Author's Note: **I've just watched the "Saviors" episode and this idea just hit me! Don't blame me, I get nostalgic at Christmas. Anyway, I really want to write about Chameron even in 2014 because I feel like their story is much more profound than it was shown in the show. Kisses and don't forget to review!


	2. Chapter 2 - Authority

Authority

"Authority, when first detecting chaos at its heels, will entertain the vilest schemes to save its orderly facade."  
― Alan Moore, _V for Vendetta_

_The sun was shining brightly, utter hotness enveloping the students' bodies, making them look like an authentic model of unveiled nerves. June had already had sky-high temperatures, so to be studying in midday was a proper challenge for almost everyone._

_Allison Cameron's class was located on the first floor; the wide-open windows were letting heat enter the grand room without any little trace of indulgence towards the occupants of the chamber. Even her old and always-upset form teacher decided to leave all the students alone, offering the possibility to choose what they should do. The major part of them decided to play some stupid, childish games which caused loud laughs and booms to conquer the entire space._

_Since she was little, Allison had been a lonely and introverted person, that's why her favorite escape was a book read at the light of a candle; in that moment she could have imagined a steamy cup of hot chocolate with cinnamon lying next to her. A moment of complete leisure was perfect to discover the long-awaited finale of the novel which extorted every drop of energy from her veins. Her eyes were desperately looking for the last lines of the action; she was hooked, completely absorbed in the plot. The happy squeals that escaped her colleagues' mouths were just background music for her; she wasn't really paying any attention to the liberty and freedom that surrounded her._

_After long minutes of letting herself drown in the sea of dreams, she managed to renter the real world and to ascertain that her long and slim legs started to ache, and she needed to change her position or to try to walk around and experience a bit of the "happiness fair" that was going on at that moment. When her feet touched the chafed ground, she wondered why she hadn't realize earlier that staying on two desks with the legs up shouldn't be the best way to relax. She walked numbly until she reached her seat and started to dig nervously in her handbag for her bottle of apple juice which looked like was lost in the terrible turmoil. Behind her back the morph turned into a funny contest that required a long rubber band and two people that would actually jump for one full minute. She started to hear the loud sounds that the band produced when it would hit the soil. It looked like a really long whip that was selected from a lousy action movie that involved some pretty women dancing around the main character –cliché-._

_Intentionally, she made her way in the room, until she reached the spot where the noisy tramples were almost unsupportable. She just stood there, mesmerized, completely trapped in a past flashback of her childhood, when her favorite activity was the jump rope; she practiced that game until her feet would have been too sore to even move around. Cameron admired the harmonic sequence of fast steps, like she was visualizing the complex paces of a waltz. She was attracted to that foolish game and unconsciously she wanted to take part of it. The rhythm started to increase, so she didn't even sense the fact that a male figure appeared behind her._

_"So, are you enjoying the time-off?" an Australian accent inquired, smiling broadly._

_Cameron turned to face the speaker, and was surprised to see that Robert Chase was actually talking to her, after the odd circumstances that made her heart melt last week._

_"Yeah, definitely!" she answered sharply, pitching her voice a little over the limit._

_Chase studied her for a second and then he decided to go and show her that his charming and funny side really exists behind the mask of a nerdy boy._

_"I've never seen someone so thrilled in front such a puerile game" he said and aligned himself with her, so that he was seeing only the left side of her face and the aesthetical curve of her little nose._

_"I think about my childhood when I see a jump rope. I can't help my excitement!" she confessed, looking like a 5-year old experiencing for the first time a brand new "hide and seek" version._

_"Well, I can jump with you, if you don't have an actual partner" he half-joked, receiving from her a pair of wide-open eyes that were expressing naturally her surprise._

_"Well, let's see if you can keep the rhythm, little Aussie" she shot back in a playful manner._

_"I've learned a lot just by studying kangaroos" he responded, picturing a face filled by adrenaline. This time, she just glanced at him and then started to laugh wholeheartedly, masking her small teeth with her right palm. "Let's play, then!" she exclaimed on an alarming speed._

_They took a step forward and waited patiently for the last pair to finish their exercise. Her colleagues' jaws were wide-open in surprise to see them doing something new and involving in the same time a little romance and effort._

_In a blink of an eye, one of the holders of the rope had a moment of non-attention and his hand slipped almost entirely, so finally the rope started to balance free. Unluckiness strike exactly in that second and both the bodies were harmed in that incident. Cameron and Chase let out a yelp of pain, they had been hit by the gum rope, and their skin was hurting immensely. When they looked up at each other, they realized that Robert's injury was far worse than her. He had a bloody and bruised ulcer on his upper eye lid and he was definitely struggling to stop the quick flow of blood. Cameron, on the other side, had two deep, purple-colored scratches on both her tights._

_After they found an oasis of tranquility, she started mending his lesion. Once in a while, he let out a deaf sound of sorrow, and also a flinch that showed his strong and embossed reflexes._

_"Are you sure you are okay?" she asked, looking quite worried._

_"I'm fine; you did a great job on bandaging. How about going to nurse school?" he said, revealing the fact that his sense of humor was far away from being dead._

_"Not for me. Are you okay?" she asked again; the pressure on her heart started to ease slowly._

_"I'm fine, I promise. Now, let's go to the physics class until someone will start rumors" he said, pleased with the fact that they got to be involved in this together._

_She smiled back and she lifted herself from the seating position she had stood. Wordlessly, she left the classroom with her unspoken thoughts buried deep in her mind._

* * *

Allison quickly grabbed the bottle of alcohol and some cotton walls before heading back to the kitchen where her husband-to-be was leaning on the counter.

"I really don't understand how you manage to cut the same finger every time you try to cook a fancy dinner" she said, frustration rushing through her veins.

"Well, it's not my fault that I want to charm the woman sitting in front of me" he said and then painted a nice grin on his face. Moments later, he let out a small and almost unrecognizable noise cause by the intense tingling.

"Romeo, keep your sweet words for the vows" she responded, laughing slightly, the sound seemed to be alike a harmonic tinkle.

"I've already written them" he stated proudly as he watched his fiancée finishing the bandage by adding one last plaster.

"I'm impressed! Well, I think I should let you deal with the flower arrangement if you are so prepared. And let me finish the sauce, I really need you whole for the wedding" she joked and gently place one of her soft palms on his cheek.

"I still think that nurse school was for you" he alluded to the happy memory that he remembered exactly as it happened year ago.

She laughed and she was fully aware of the fact the her lonely and much too harmed soul came in contact with its kindred spirit and found the balance we are all aspiring to.

**Author's Note:** I really enjoy writing about college!Chameron, so I'm thinking about turning this fanfic into a collection of drabbles. I think 10 chapters will be enough. I won't post them regularly because my science course sometimes keeps me up until night, so I don't have proper time to write. Anyway, I hope that a resurrection of the Chameron relationship in 2015 is really refreshing. Kisses and don't forget to review! :*


	3. Chapter 3 - Acknowledgement

Acknowledgement

"I saw something I could never forget. I saw lifetimes of acknowledgement, fear, wisdom, questioning, and understanding in a child's eye."

\- Shannon A. Thompson, _November Snow_

_If you feel insecure, you fall apart and hardly hit the ground. That's a matter of physics. But what happens when someone's starting to become your motivation? What if a person simply walks into your life and turns everything upside down? The same person as you are -an almost perfect reflection- enters your quiet and peaceful existence and suddenly finds a way to mess with your thoughts. That moment is defined as a climax and finally you start to realize that your world isn't falling apart anymore._

_Allison Cameron had been assigned to stay in a far-cornered bench. Her mind was a blur of memorized pages and words which started to intermingle. She pursued her lips in frustration. A throbbing headache made her whole self agonizingly flinch as she tried to remember the complicated definition of the immunosuppresses, a notion she had never understood, in fact. Quickly, she started questioning herself why she chose biology in the first place. Geometry has been her passion she the first she learned to solve a vectorial problem without any additional help. "Addison's disease __is a rare, __chronic__ endocrine system disorder in which the adrenal glands do not produce sufficient steroid hormones" she tried to summarize in one quick sentence. _

_She kept her eyes wide-closed, focusing on all the details she used to know and frequently use. Her eyelids were almost __indistinguishable, they could have been described as an irregular line that crossed her upper part of her face and caused wrinkles to appear. She passively mimed a convulsion when she had been startled by a thick male voice deliberately talking louder that the allowed and comfortable limits. _

"_Is this place occupied?" he inquired as she smiled confidently. He has always been the type who managed to mask his emotions every time it was possible. He was the perfect portrait of a future resident; he had never showed any traces of doubt or insecurity._

"_No, of course not. You can stay," Cameron pleaded in response and made the gesture to remove the dark-purple jacket that was unstrategically placed on the back of the wooden chair. _

_Chase sat down with a loud thump and shifted nervously until he got comfortable. She studied him attentively in order to find a hint of worriedness. After long minutes of silence, she gave up and spoke for the first time, encouraging the whole conversation to develop. _

"_So, you chose biology?" she asked, feeling her voice tremble. Her vocal cords were almost completely numb. _

"_Actually, I've been having a crush on physics lately. I chose it over biology," Chase confessed, looking straight into her light-blue eyes, thing that determined Cameron to lower her gaze. This reaction Cameron had developed in years. Every time she felt pressured or sprouted, she would have retreat her tiny body in a cocoon, muting the all the silent cries of angriness. _

"_I assume you chose biology," Chase continued, slightly gesturing toward Cameron to lift her eyes. He barely touched the soft skin of her chin with his fingertips. The young student felt Cameron tense under her touch, and rapidly concluded that something was off._

"_I did, yes. I horribly regret right now," she answered, once again lowering her eyes until she blankly stared at the dirty floor that was accompanied by some litter she spotted in the first lines of desks. _

"_Why would you say that?" Chase asked, pitching his voice. Contradictory theories were rushing through his system. "Biology is one of the school objects you excel at," Chase whispered, heartily trying to make her regain her posture._

"_Are you sure it's real what you say?" Cameron asked back, trying to light up the heaviness that was placed against her shoulders._

"_Because I've never seen you fail. You fight until it's right. That's why you try so hard. You imagine yourself helping dying patient. You want to be that person who tends to make everybody happy. I truly admire your will to mend broken souls. You want to take a good grade just because it would mean you're one step closer to your destiny. It's understandable," Chase finished with a loud sigh and carefully placed his palm over her white and scratched knuckles._

"_Do you think that about me?" Cameron wanted to know, turning her head in desk mate's direction. When she saw only hope and sincerity flooding his eyes, she mentally decided that his speech was his whole opinion about her turning and pendulous personality._

"_Just take a deep breath and concentrate. You are able to defeat this obstacle, too. Just close your eyes and focus on this last task," Chase murmured in order not to be heard by all the other scared students. He saw the exam topics enter the large laboratory. Finally, Cameron recovered her temper and inhaled deeply. _

_The exam started and Chase read only once all the mathematical subject and quickly glanced at Cameron who was already calculating the number of nucleons from the first problem. "One step closer to what she wants," he thought internally, before returning to his formulas and equations. _

_After the exam was finished and all the students had gone out of the stressful aura, Chase stood outside the classroom, waiting for a heaven sign that the results were already displayed. _

"_I should have recorded your speech from today and play over and over again when we will have another test. Thank you!" a female voice remarked, letting her hot breath canoodle his ear lobe. _

"_For nothing! Don't relax too much, tomorrow is the chemistry one," he replied eagerly, smiling broadly and revealing his cute dimples. _

"_If that's so, I'll keep you a seat right next to me," she said before distancing a few feet. _

_He witnessed her traversing the hallway and simply plastered a boyish grin across his face before leaving in order to welcome another sleepless night. _

Dr. Robert Chase arrived home to find a dim light surrounding the condo. There was a deadly silence in almost every corner. He omitted the small lamp shining intermittently in the living room. He felt his arms sore after a full schedule of surgeries which required precision and care. He started panicking when he realized that his wife-to-be was nowhere to be found. He quietly entered the bedroom to find only some blonde strands coming out from a nest built by fluffy blankets.

Immediately, his hands went to brush them with such love and attention like he was touching pure gold. His soft movements stirred her awake. Her soft face was flushed with tears, some of them completely dried, others kept flooding her reddish cheeks at full speed.

"Hey, you're home!" she exclaimed faintly, her voice almost unrecognizable; it looked like a mild tinkle with only some higher notes.

"What happened? Why were you…?" Chase started, but before he could inquire another fact, she threw her whole body in his arms, and he quickly encircled her waist with his forearms. He ran his palms across her back in a soothing manner.

"I'm glad you are here," she confessed, amplifying her voice above the level of a whisper. "I have doubts and I'm scared," she confessed quickly before burying her head deeper into her lover's shoulder. She just needed to fell his reassuring touch and endless encouraging words.

Chase's heart skipped a beat and before jumping to conclusions, he carefully retreated his body so that he was gazing straight into her eyes.

"What if this won't work?" she asked quietly, and let go of one little tear that was filled with the essence of all her negative thought. She felt it burn her cheek like the pressure of her insecurities was going to determine his soul to collapse.

"I promise you here and now that I won't leave your side no matter how engrave the situation will be. Consider this wedding only a confirmation of our trust, which is not going to end. This nuptial will be just something formal because we have already said our vows so many times. And think how happy we will be in the honeymoon, lying on the hot sand and staying awake just to admire the stars. The future will show that the best is yet to come," Chase spoke, revealing all the feeling he had felt since the moment this blonde figure entered his life and managed to discover the truthful and faithful man that hides behind the mask of an adamantly surgeon.

Cameron nodded nervously and pictured a weak smile on her face; she felt lips immobilized, but she found the strength to push the limits of comfort and show a hint of reassurance. She felt overwhelmed by all the affection she could have ever got. With one simple and tactical move she managed to throw Chase against the soft pillows.

"You really have talent at composing speeches," Cameron stated and lounged to plant a firm kiss on his neck.

"I haven't changed so much and you're still the same scared cat," he joked and responded with a peck on her hairline.

Cameron sighed and let herself drift back to sleep. Her vivid and intense dreams stroke again and before she could have attained, she took an imaginary trip back in time, just to witness them sharing the same doze of potassium nitrateat the chemistry trial.

**Author's Note**: Finally holiday! I'm really determined to finish this series within a week! :* Thanks for the continuous support! I'm glad I can revive some of the nicest Chameron moments even in 2015. Don't forget to stay tuned! R&amp;R


	4. Chapter 4 - Addiction

Addiction

"Every habit he's ever had is still there in his body, lying dormant like flowers in the desert. Given the right conditions, all his old addictions would burst into full and luxuriant bloom."  
― Margaret Atwood

_Nowadays, humans are different, sophisticated and usually totally complex. Unfortunately, the stress is one major factor that causes the spoil of the inner balance. There can easily be spotted two opposite categories of competitive students. First of all, there are the ones who become completely emotional and vulnerable in front of an ultimate confrontation with the complicated science, shortly said they balance on the verge of a last step to hell. Strong abilities are shown by the courageous and willing graders, who imbue their dominance in tough situations._

_Allison Cameron is surrounded by tormenting history, high stacks of information and underlined logical assumptions. She's already passed the point of full exhaustion and was progressively starting to imagine a frightening scenario of the upcoming exam, which standards were higher and almost impossible to conform to. She was always described as the incarnated bravery, but this trait was slowly subsiding in a fading ability. She was scared, beyond horrified, her fingers trembling with anxiety. Mentally, she was counting down the remained hours until point zero. She knew she should base a solid foundation of trust in her brain, which was now wrecked by emotions. _

_The air from the campus was suffocating and kept irritating her much-too-sensitive lungs just like an enclosed stuffiness. She needed to inhale fresh air, so she automatically moved towards the rusted latch and opened it forcefully. She still carried her heavy backpack, internally thinking that she might be able to study in the tranquility and still peace of the shadowy park._

_She's running surprisingly fast, considerably increasing her pace just moments before spotting the large gate of that heavenly, isolated park which is carefully decorated with rosy, springy petals of imperial roses. She scans the whole garden with widely-open, critique eyes, finally identifying a completely deserted bench, protected by the mild shadow of a majestic oak tree._

_Cameron sits on it with a loud thump, its structure almost collapsing entirely, desperately trying to handle the colossal weight of her fit body. Allison tucks her knees underneath her, wincing slightly at the transfer, her muscles crying out in pain. She stubbornly forces herself to memorize mechanically the mechanic formulas even though her mind protests strongly._

_Paged slowly become chapters and chapter dilatory dissolve into units. Only a few paragraphs before the long-awaited trance of lecturing, the young student is engulfed by the fresh, divine, pregnant smell of mint ice-cream, one of her favorite frigid desserts. She raises her chin to localize the source of the sense, but she's beyond surprised to see her old mate in biology almost full bent, attentively hovering over the last lines. _

"_Still trying to swot until the last minute?" Chase queried nonchalantly before adding with a frustrated sigh, "It's a wonder how you can do that every time," he verbalized possessively, offering a grand, illustrious grin in response. _

"_I really want that scholarship so bad, believe me. But, I shouldn't wear myself out this bad only for a minute of fame," she philosophized, truly praising herself for being on a fraudulent, inferior place._

"_Hey," he launched, before occupying the free spot beside her,"stop underestimating yourself! You're way better than most of the nerds out there. Stop judging yourself so hard. You haven't seen the best yet, so chances still have to come," he concluded ultimately, unwarily fondling her tensed knee._

"_I really don't know why I have this tendency to beat the strife, when I'm so far from the first place. Maybe I should learn to be much more optimistic sometimes," Cameron divulged, and closed the physics course book like a flash, her force being bolted by a supernatural mix of uncurbed rage and discarded dismay. She realized, with a pang of guilt, that her feeling just emerged completely from her insides. _

"_You are awfully wrong," he starts swiftly, reassuringly, "it doesn't matter if you're the first or not, you should be proud of what you know, of your dedication and passion, because those things lack at most geniuses. You'll become the brilliant doctor you have dreamed of, trust me," he disclosed, obnoxiously waiting for her reaction. _

_Cameron had an outlandish and neutral expression on her face, but managed to reply in time. "Nobody has ever comforted in this manner and is apparently working," she scrutinized impishly his face and then went on, "I started to be addicted to your advice. You are so damn good at it," she declared loudly, chuckling only for a brief moment._

"_I'm glad I could help you. I am convinced that you won't fail in anything you will be doing from now on," he enlightened playfully and handed her a melting cornet of ice-cream. "And I also thought that you might need a good and tasty break," he stated loyally, reflecting about her shockingly long pause. _

"_Thank you!" she chirped adorably and tasted the ice-cream greedily. She was soon overwhelmed by the satisfactory, fruity sense and giddily smirked when a drop of arctic ice glided just above the tip of her nose._

"_Can I ask you something?" he commenced hesitantly and carried on talking only after an excruciating break, "would you mind if I stay next to you tomorrow at the term paper? With you by my side, there's no way I won't pass it with flying colors," he inquired and lowered his head in a lousy attempt to mask his uncertainty. _

"_That is such a ridiculous question!" she exclaimed all of a sudden causing his awaiting heart to skip a beat. "Of course you can do that. We'll surely make one hell of a team," Cameron replied enthusiastically, keeping her composure whole and making sure not to become red-faced at his sudden, flattering comments._

"_Thank you!" Chase shrieked considerably, stealing a glance of her contradictory reaction which froze the outside, comical atmosphere. "Do you know what I managed to learn after five hours of reading?" he challenged seductively and hoped of an equal response for the childish game. _

"_Surprise me," she shot back, clearly trying to enter his luxurious and humorous mood, notoriously known as flirty approach in the same time._

_He raised an eyebrow intensively and caught a glimpse of her tiny burst of giggles. "That the Y rays are the most penetrating ones," he announced wholeheartedly, savoring the current expression in front of his mesmerized person. _

_She erupted into a hysterical laughter, her vivid and unique tone of voice barely audible from her uncharacteristic chuckles. Chase gazed at her instant, passionate feedback, exhibited a peculiar sideways-turned smile and realized that he has always been able to drown willingly in her laughter, now and forever. _

The coquette condo is surprisingly animated by the sound of blasting pop music coming from the living room. The surgeon's ears are completely fatigued in the moment when he fearfully enters the common place he calls home. Chase shrugged insensibly his jacket off and blindly threw it across the narrow hallway. He is beyond curious to hear what caused this future wife's utter happiness. It is crystal clear that life partner's wedding preparations went reckless and off-limits again. He shyly greets Cameron, his voice just above the stage of a forced and strangled whisper.

"What is that, dear?" Chase smoothly interrogated, examining the infinite pile of specialized magazines, which threaten to occupy the whole comfortable sofa.

"Everything is upside down. I can't decide anything, not even the colors of the flowers. I screwed up the entire reception!" she whined deliberately, placing her inflamed head in the back of her palms with a dreadful noise.

"Calm down, dear. We'll figure this out together as we always do," he replied level-headedly, encircling her shoulders, desperately trying to extinguish the erroneous flames she has just released. "Actually, I might have an idea," he suggested incredulously, watching how her reddish eyes are finally lightening up after such a ghastly distress. "I think all the colors should mean something. What if we choose the dark-red roses? I mean, it would symbolize the first thing you gave me. I dealt with that bleeding scar for days, which tons of ointment," he said, hinting the fact that the greatest things are the most difficult to be forgotten.

She can't withhold the mischievous smile that soon turned into a loud laughter, and then again Chase is inundated by unconditional esteem and vows in his mind to treasure it as long as he has days to live.

Author's Note: Finally, my school year is over. My updates should be regular these months even though I'll have a summer job in the same time. And for all my readers, I'm deleting "Foxes" only for a rating change and for being betad, but it should be up again soon. Read and Review! :*


	5. Chapter 5 - Action

Action

"Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration's shove or society's kiss on your forehead. Pay attention. It's all about paying attention. Attention is vitality. It connects you with others. It makes you eager. Stay eager."  
― Susan Sontag

_The rays of the sun looked like a diffuse metamorphosis in the sudden autumn chill. The branches were denuded again; the aromatic wind was slightly warming the thick layer of dew that was spread across the rough texture of the closest beech._

_This particular time, Allison Cameron was not in a haze of stress, she was just lying motionless on a hard bench, decoding the meaning behind the irregularly-shaped clouds. She was using her imagination at full power, pointing blankly towards the sky, creating a universe of her own, where she could be anything, but restless and incomplete. She long forgot the iconic cityscape and urban noise, focusing all her attention on the childish game she tend to complicate willingly, the essential geometry transforming into a sea of geniality, of complex forms and dimensions._

_Cameron progressively grew accustomed to that particular park, since destiny made this area her personal oasis of relaxation. Still, for her, the lingering smell of bonding was flowing heavily, Chase's puissant cologne enveloping her in a warm and cozy cocoon. She let herself be prey to that mirage, quietly closing her delicate eyelids until she identified Chase's permanent sparkle of hope plastered on his face, standing right in front of her eyes._

_She hadn't the necessary time to thank him properly for the meaningful advice he mustered in a heartbeat during the last trial. After sitting upright, supporting her achy and slightly sore upper back, she pictured a goofy grin and carefully tapped the place next to her in an attempt to get him in her near proximity._

_"Stress-free, finally! All we have to pass now is the year-ending party," Chase said, his tone somewhere between contemptuous amusement and cracked irony._

_"Oh, come on, the dating arguments are always the best to watch," Cameron joked, subtly imaging herself waltzing in Chase's genuine embrace until the first rays of dawn rise up._

_"Yeah, and the guys acting like pompous jerks during lunch breaks become even more hilarious every year," Chase shot back playfully, admiring the innocent smile she revealed just like in a silent epiphany he dared to unbound._

_She laid back with a smooth and regular motion, this time lounging on the tall pale-green fibers of grass that slightly had a hint of watery liquid soaking in them._

_Chase followed her natural grace and mimed her with a strenuously competitive motion. He landed on the solid and frigid surface with a loud thump, the merely limit between them sending alerting shivers and numbing both his exposed and covered limbs._

_"Is this supposed to be a ritual?" Chase inquired incredulously, inhale a large gulp of oxygen before shifting continuously, trying to find a comfortable position in the odd and non-conformist situation._

_"No, Skippy," Cameron said, loud and elated giggles cracking all the syllables, "This is a way to work your mind."_

_"I think my mind is over-exhausted," Chase deadpanned, manipulating the slightly flirtatious discussion she established willingly._

_"Oh, that is totally different! Just shut up and get lost in the sensation," Cameron advised gently, progressively closing the opposing gap between them._

_Chase frowned expectantly, his body rooted on the spot; his labored movements seemed strangely intrusive. The same and usual tiring numbness installed in his arms; he cleared his throat roughly and shifted in obvious discomfort when the lavender scent of her natural shampoo penetrated his nostrils._

_"You see that form?" The petite brunette asked, pointing her thin finger towards a particular cloud, her conscious choice._

_"I really suck at being creative," he confessed with a heavy huff, hinting a subdued and ironic sense of humor._

_"Come on, relate it to something," Cameron challenged provocatively with genuine passion. Her resolute face suddenly brightened when his sharp and sickened face-twist turned hilarious._

_Chase was afraid to admit his momentarily thoughts, fearing the worst scenario. He fell and was still falling for that complex, graceful and shy creature he sort of grew accustomed to. The ultimate occasion of confessing his real and unaltered thoughts sounded too risky, but he still rose from the initial position and stared in her deep sea-blue eyes, anxiously waiting for a final response._

_It was truly eloquent and obvious for him that his heart rate was crazily increasing, tactfully preparing for an immediate, negative reaction that would be capable to spoil their blocked bond._

_"For me, it looks like a tiny butterfly," he started intentionally dramatically, his tone slightly shaking until he regained his unified composure, "it actually reminds me of you. Still timid and vulnerable, but in the same time vulpine and propitious, still aspiring for perfection. And you either don't realize or cherish what you have, the beauty that consecrates both of you." He finished his affirmation with hope gleaming in his pupils._

_Without mentally preparing a cheesy speech, he watched helplessly as the sudden effect overwhelmed her memory, stirring in her a thrill of excitement she was powerless to bear entirely. Slowly -almost agonizingly slowly- Cameron leaned towards his shocked facial expression which was turning to normalcy. A few inches stopped them from unifying their beating, unsteady hearts and from confirming their mutual attraction they had painfully mustered without verbalizing it. His breath was hot and refreshing; it was softly tickling her neck._

_"Oh, guys come see the new lovebirds," a sharp and irritating voice announced and soon after a chorus of matching shouts joined it._

_Both Cameron and Chase's faces had turned a deep, almost bloody shade of red, unmasking their inevitable vulnerability. The young Australian's hand still rested on her thin thigh, signaling a new sort of primal protectiveness._

_"Finally, Kangaroo, you played your cards right!" One of the unexpected viewers exclaimed bitterly, his tone balancing between contemptuous satisfaction and actual malice._

_Before Chase had the unique chance to respond equally, Cameron already grabbed her bag angrily and left the horrific scene where her dignity dissolved into miserable, unfixable dust._

_Chase shot a disgraceful and direct glare to the attendants, frustration enveloping his boiling bodily fluids, the formed threatens long-forgotten. His unleashed rage would be an infantile nonsense, so with a last bolt of energy and guided by an unbroken promise, he started to follow Cameron, desperately praying for a late chance of forgiveness._

_Trust is relative and fragile; it requires only a second to transform into a pile of unresolved issues and unspoken regrets. For Cameron, she felt beyond furious and utterly aggressive, even though her heart kept sending weak lights of hope and signals of resentments. And while she ran, she escapes the trap of emotions, but the true affection for Chase still ached like an immense burden she was powerless to overcome._

* * *

The ER seemed oddly cold and deserted; patients vanished from the place of medicine with only a banal prescription or a short and concessive future advice. Still, the working day had its soreness and quick pace and Cameron found herself panting for the installment of serenity and peaceful quiet. Unwillingly, she supported her throbbing head on her desk, waiting for the clock to announce her departure hour. She closed her exhausted eyes for a brief moment and inhaled the sterile and irritating scent of the medical supplies.

"Ready to go?" Her fiancée asked, startling her from the long break of meditation.

"I thought this hour would never come," she deadpanned with a sheepish smirk.

Chase plastered a shy and mechanical smile before grabbing the over-filled huge handbag she had to carry at work every single day. He waited patiently for her and gently wrapped his firm and well-sculptured arm across her petite waist. After only a few wobbly and insecure steps, their fellow surgeon, Taub, crossed their windy and irregular path. He stopped in front of their eyes and it was quite visible his apologetically nuance digging in his masculine and sedate demeanor.

"Exactly the person we were looking for," Cameron exclaimed, digging for the purple envelope that got lost in the sea of uncompleted paperwork. "Here is our wedding invitation. We hope you'll be there," she informed politely, faking a growing desire and excitement for announcing such an absolute commitment.

"When did you change your mind?" Taub asked, his mind giving up processing the puzzling, controversial and confrontational information he had just received.

"What do you mean?" Cameron inquired as a blank response, her conscious sinking in the same sea of mysteries and enigmas. Chase felt the blood being drained from his heart as he realized with a forceful pang of guilt that his conversation with Foreman might have more repercussions that he had ever intended.

"Actually, Chase told Foreman in the OR about that 'itchy' glitch, so I thought you had decided to walk away. Sorry, this is not my business, I'll just get back to the differential," the short surgeon chirped, paradoxically confirming Chase's worst and incisive fears. They were still in the stage of processing her reveal and the rumor running freely around the hospital could easily amplify the pressure they had to handle.

"He is right, we have a subject to deal with," Cameron concluded, her reaction more collected and calmer than the ultimate eruption which was expected.

She grabbed his bigger and precise hand in a gesture of reassurance and pure trust. They had a lifetime to experience and a pointless and slightly brusque obstacle was not going to be the foundation of a collapse that was emerging in the close horizon.

**Author's Note:** Finally done! Trust me, this CC fanfic will certainly have a happy end. We truly need something sweet after what we've seen in the show. Since I'm on holiday, I'll be able to upload regularly, so prepare for a juicy make-up in the next chapters. :)

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	6. Chapter 6 - Apathy

Apathy

"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."  
― Elie Wiesel

_The grey, frigid and sudden autumn chill swept across the plain sunset, enveloping the outside space with drops of herbal scent. The whole atmosphere entered an unbearable monotony, exactly resembling the arisen grief that conquered Allison Cameron's demeanor after the unexpected and cruel encounter with the universal gossip._

_Even the stressful days of high-school changed into pure agony, draining her of any drop of energy and genuine motivation she had ever had. Without a quick and well-composed reminder that life always goes on, she found herself blocked in a shade of broken promises and selfish sentiments, all leading to an immediate apocalypse._

_The halls seemed to be strangely vacant and the long-awaited clock was always rushing to strike, once again marking the elapsed time just like in a terrific and dark retribution. Cameron's attention was becoming shallow, utterly fragile, influenced by the last unforeseeable experience she had to endure._

_"Mind over heart," she strictly instructed herself to believe, but in the past blurred days she realized with a thrill of nostalgic fear that her body was very close to self-destructing, due to her inner fallout which had the necessary power to mix all her furtive, painful secrets._

_She usually passed near him -accidentally- and she would strategically turn her eyesight towards a meaningless and ordinary object which only consisted as a substitute for the talk she stubbornly refused to verbalize. Glimpses of him would only make her sensible soul shed another metaphorical tear even though Cameron avoided his presence whenever she could avert her piercing gaze. Her sore eyes should have been swollen shut, her body ripped in pieces, stabbed by metal knifes of agony, seared by a throbbing and dull pain, but the tiny brunette was physically unhurt, her skin smooth and alive, her mind prepared for the future. Her sadness was almost palpable and prominent, just like an unwanted accessory, and Cameron was desperate to be released from that chain of pain and unrealistic illusions._

_A vague sense of homelessness installed in Cameron's heart after days -that seemed ages- of desolation. The tension was slowly falling away to an oddly somber hush, a process that only enlarged the gap from her heart. Chase's potential rebellion and obvious venom from his eyes became a daily, mystic ritual she fought to ignore._

_The scholar rhythm came back almost reflexively and on a foggy and damp Tuesday, Cameron was securely filing her thoughts, hardly deleting any unwanted content. She prided herself on being ultimately logical, but this particular situation made her irrationally vulnerable. Even her strict professionalism faded, she was still affected by the tiniest glance of him._

_Her chained rationalization abruptly ended when the round bench shifted loudly and the regular face she willingly tried to avoid came into view._

_"Do you want to talk now?" His masculine and stern tone surprised her. Cameron was used to hear a slow, languid, under-developed voice in the classes where he mastered the theoretical part._

_She remained silent, just like in a fudged attempt to test his virtue of patience._

_"I am not going to back away. So, you're not getting anywhere with the silent treatment," Chase insisted, clearly wanting to put order in the unreal affair he implied in a moment he took a unique chance that appeared._

_"I'm mad at you," Cameron accused under her hot breath, still processing his wise movement towards reconciliation._

_Chase cleared his throat roughly, diffuse anger and desire for revenge pulsing along with his loudly pumping blood. He browsed his mind for an excuse that would cover all his tormenting regrets, but he failed miserably to form a conceivable sentence. Instinctively, his soft palm came into electric contact with her white knuckles, causing a faint wave of hope to reach her disassembled and contradictory sentiments. The undeniable attraction finally smacked Cameron hard and brought her in the honest reality she had to deal with. She raised her rectangular chin and caught his durable gaze and let her jingling, cracking voice to guide the conversation._

_She was poised on the edge of a precipice, ruin already showing in the nearby area. It was painful as much as liberating, but she found the appropriate strength to remove the inaction._

_"But I will get over it," Cameron rectified acidly, rushing guilt pooling down in her stomach. "Time erases everything, right?" She huffed loudly, focusing on the every-day mundanity, which seemed adequate and effective until the particular confrontation with Chase took place._

_"It wasn't my attention to get that gang around us," Chase said tersely, mockingly stating the obvious. He was overwhelmed by the sense of trespassing a certain boundary, intruding in a haunted territory. He continued caustically, clenching his jaw in an attempt to control his unleashed frustration. "It wasn't my planned intention to try to kiss you. This had been my wish since a long time ago. It's Tuesday, just like the other time, and I still like you the same way," he confessed, carefully articulating the taboo word he forced himself not to say out loud._

_Cameron was taken aback by the sudden potential rebellion of his own emotions. She quickly started to wonder what would have happened if the intruding group hadn't sprang in the serene background._

_"We still have moments. It may come ours, too, but we can't control the time. When that opportunity will come, we'll both know it," Cameron philosophized, profoundly overshadowing his ghostly thoughts._

_She purposefully let both the sense of reconciliation and the ultimate grief hang in the air, picturing a battle for dominance. Chase's optimism dissolved into a timeless oblivion as he watched the thin silhouette drowning in the sea of fellow students, her bag balancing ungracefully on the narrow slope of her shoulder._

_He could easily recall the rosy pallor of her skin, the depth of her cyan pupil and most importantly the radiant attraction she obsessively and infantile fought to overcome. Chase was in a deep haze of rejection and pure angst, only gathering further resentment when he desperately craved for forgiveness._

* * *

The tiny condo is oddly silent and fitting, only a fathomless hum hiding in the sparkling shadow of the golden sunset. A bouquet of auburn, seared roses rested on the nightstand, only ashes of their glorious past shade trying to ignite a unique radiance. The catastrophic trail of Chase's question still lingered in the pressured air. He saw no viable future in his normal, almost amusingly ordinary question, but he still asked it, constructing another confirmation of their emerging commitment.

"Do you want a baby?" He inquired unexpectedly, hopefully waiting for a significant reply, a positive undergo of his mustered intention. He was gently stroking her golden locks, encouraging her neutral imagination to full-bloom into trust and creativity.

She shrugged nonchalantly, utterly disinterestedly, slightly wincing at the imperceptible, but still existent, meaning behind his spontaneous words. "I have never given much thought to that," Cameron replied simply, a cold indifference lacing her sentence.

He looked affronted by her sudden exposure of bitterness, and silently pleaded for a true confession as he pushed the subject further, in unknown and trivial depths.

"You have the chance to think about it now," he insisted nervously, opposing the boundary of secrets they had mutely established.

"Why do you keep bringing this up?" Cameron shot back bitterly, feeling sequestered in a universe of dissolution and distrust. She seemed too drained and frightened to mutter a true justification, she was flooded by a somber premonition of sentimental obligation, a plot she had been avoiding purposefully to cover her own sinking insecurity. She was accustomed to strangeness, but she was shocked to lose the familiarity that was usually present.

"Because I think we should discuss this topic because it's the next one on our list. I want to be prepared for what you would like to continue with," Chase assured her, abolishing her inner uncertainty. He was truly prepared for a new and tumultuous chapter in his life, the sudden tightness in his contracted neck and the futuristic image of a baby confirming his spoken plans. He backtracked into a marginally safer territory, in his clear thoughts, savoring the daydream.

"I don't really think I'm prepared to do this. It is still premature to make any plans," Cameron confessed, choking with her own shaky breath, the verge of tears already sparkling in her navy blue eyes. She found endless iterations for the interpretation of her words, suffocating with guilt and history. She immediately condemned herself for making this vow permanent, abject fear blurring her logic.

"When will you be able to assume the risk? You won't have to do this alone, I'm here to support you, no matter what happens," Chase reassured her, bringing the futile subject on a normal route, watching helplessly as her possible positive reply crumbled to pieces.

"I don't know if that moment comes. It is a huge responsibility and I am not sure I can handle it perfectly," she justified, implying the same teasing self-perfection she obsessively tried to append throughout her years of a keen diagnostician.

"Allison, it doesn't have to be perfect. We are here to learn, and we just have to be careful and cherish our kid, that's all," Chase responded calmly, impassively ignoring her eruption of inscrutable issues which she kept deep, buried in her long-afflicted soul.

"It doesn't work as simply as you think. Just imagine it, a third person walking around us, trying to grow up nicely while its parents are stuck with piles of paperwork," Cameron reminded, completely defying the sense view of a professional sacrifice.

"We can take time-off, dedicate some time for our little family," Chase affirmed firmly, confirming her worst visions. In his dreamy and safe mind, the paternal affinity would be the apogee of his entire life, a child of his own lightning the path towards a bright and welcoming final.

"This is just the happy part, and then are the midnight feeds, hourly changes and unstoppable cries. No one knows if we'll make good parents," Cameron insisted, thinly marking the point of surreal attachment which she inclined to isolate from behind a tall wall of secrets and false illusions.

"I do," Chase answers evasively, on the defense now. The newborn glints of hope swimming in his eyes were still fragile and deadly, so he doesn't let them nurture into certitude.

After the mild issue concerning the sample of her dead husband's semen, he was no longer able to tell if their awaiting horizon was absolutely covered into pure bliss or was sentenced to imprison them in a mystical cage of defensiveness and arguably betrayal.

After testing situations and agonizing sadness, Chase thought that their "public affair" ended prematurely due to the apparition of an intrusive question. But, the optimism he had managed to edifice didn't look so insignificant and unimportant in the sparkly shadow of future acceptance. Cameron only craved insanely for a minute of recollection, her heart still swelling with dazzling pride at the divine sound of gurgling and giggling coming from an infant of her own. This plan only needed acceptance before emerging.

**Author's Note:** After Chase saying that line with "three kids spending their summers in Melbourne", I thought that they had already discussed that topic, so it would have been nice to be included in here, too!

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	7. Chapter 7 - Amplification

Amplification

"Fear is for the powerless. Fear is for the alone. But as you stand together now, you are neither of those. Together, you amplify each other's strengths; you nullify each other's weaknesses."  
― A.J. Darkholme, _Rise of the Morningstar_

_The negative feeling of humid cold, thick and incandescent fog could easily nullify the timid appearance of the faint, sparkly and uncommon warmness. The tranquility of the scenery seemed utterly unfavorable, the loud and incoherent voices obstructing the natural glowing canopy to illuminate the apparently-unavoidable mixture of somberness and darkness._

_The noisy chatter sounded awkward and sensational, carrying alongside the immense fluctuation of information. The whole subject seemed to start spinning off its normal and rational axis, forever changed, utterly wrong. The initial situation gained epic proportions, transforming in a pile of unrealistic stories and theories, vehemently denying the reality. The public's curious and perceptible eyes wandered around, looking for the protagonists who failed to show in any intriguing or indecent scenes._

_Allison Cameron fugitively packed her anatomy atlas and left the crowded classroom which was badly influenced by the sour and disrespectful glares the occupants had apparently shot in her direction. She ran breathlessly to her intimate and secretively-kept hiding place, and sat down carelessly, promptly shoving her aching head in her sweat-soaked, rigid palms. Ignoring the outside profanity, she closed her heavy eyelids and puerile prayed for a mild palliation of the widely-spread events. She locked her strong fists in unbreakable knots, constricting a durable layer of permanent protectiveness she projected when the gossip spontaneously degenerated into an unstoppable flood of twisted lies and ultimate false assumptions._

_Cameron sank into her own timeless oblivion and didn't even sense a grief-sated sigh coming from a dark hollow in her near proximity. She walked towards the source of the mild, still uncomfortable noise, her eyes thoroughly scanning the place, looking for the unwelcomed intruder, silently hoping that she won't be obliged to confront a familiar human, especially in that reckless and endless chaos._

_She got utterly lost in the vortex of contradictory and equivocal emotions, and witnessed the classic and untimed apparition of her potential lover._

_Chase's back was turned, tense until the breaking point, his attractive golden hair damp with sweat and painfully tangled. He carefully retreated from his observing position, exhaling loudly as the diffuse chorus of hysterical laughter started to fade into a harmonic opus of deaf giggles. He quickly turned around, his breath caught in his throat as if her presence was infiltrator and spectral, a ghostly person that blurred his rational vision._

_"I think the time we should put everything in order has come," Chase deadpanned, finally realizing the gravity and enormity of the compromising situation._

_Cameron nodded silently, obeying to his propose which seemed the single secure plan to regain social freedom and a brand new chance to integrate in the elite and high-coated gangs of the high-school._

_"Where do we stand right now?" Chase inquired with a pang of brutal honesty, a problematic issue he had been constantly trying to remedy throughout years. A weak shadow of a forced ego and ponderous rudeness blocked his way towards a better resolution, a clarification of all his past sins._

_"I really can't answer that, especially because of your mixed signals which led me to not knowing what you expect me to do. I am waiting for a first step and for a mental voice to tell me what to do," Cameron affirmed, her stern and resolute tone confining a perceptible strong attitude. She dreadfully wished for a minute of quiet, all the unleashed madness to disappear in a heartbeat._

_"I want to get more with you," Chase replied caustically, anxiously trying to detach from the growing tribulation, already picturing a fluid and meaningless end for that traumatic odyssey. "But for now, people are inscrutable, we should take this on a steady road first," he concluded, his eyes burning with dryness and clouded mischief, leaving the pregnant impression of a burning and distressing heart. The admission of a possible delay looked utterly depressing and lavishly, but it was the only solution that would provide them the escape from that indestructible cage of tormenting and judging lines._

_"You mean stop seeing each other?" Cameron muffled, biting her carbuncle lip until it dropped a faint drop of blood. Her hard and aggressive manner clearly subsided; knowing deep-down inside that risking her actual affective bond with Chase would be a thoughtless and insensitive move._

_"Not forever. Until things settle down and we will be left alone," he explained precisely, marking the overwhelming sense of recoil. His arms stiffened immediately, his heart skipped a vital beat and a painful knot settled in his stomach as he witnessed Cameron's face contorting into obvious pain and lingering pressure._

_"I understand," Cameron said bluntly, condemning the chaotic bustle and the constant drain for her major letdown. She felt solitary hot tears welling in her blue eyes, but she fought dearly not to shed a single drop amidst that repeating rejection._

_"Hey, this isn't an end," Chase assured her subtly, "Consider it a postponement, until we'll clear this out. I'm not going to let you go, no matter what other people will say. In a few weeks, everything will be forgotten and we will be able to see each other without hiding behind a dumpster." Cameron shrugged nonchalantly, obviously questioning his further intentions which seemed charged with mischief. Her always-radiant blue irises were marked by a glossy sheen of pure doubt, her mind trying to process his trustworthy words._

_"I see your point," Cameron muttered, clearly dancing with his awaiting emotions, leaving him on the edge of insecurity and torment._

_Chase easily detected her inclining scent of disappointment and tried to get hold of her wrist in a wise and rational movement to show sympathy and everlasting trust. His palm gravitated only a few inches above her supple hand and in a brusque manner she withdrew her hand, marking her personal space as though she was planning for permanent disjunction. She left wordlessly, not even meditating about stilling the pressuring situation with total confidence._

_Cameron needed time to compose herself, an harmonic glint of desire jolting her on her way back to school and she knew this was the signal that would decide her precarious mind._

* * *

The quiet stillness of the coral pink dusk followed the usual pattern of a chilly darkened autumn night and magnificently covered the treetops with silvery foliage of fall. The condo hurriedly became a masterpiece of the cold and impersonal colors, surpassing the outside mourning atmosphere. The dark background seemed oddly intruding and unfitting, clearly mingling with Cameron's current frantic attitude. Isolated in one room, she reflected on her past mistakes and deficits and decided to expose her true feelings from now on, without even perceiving the possible vastness of the consequences.

The dim neon lights that surrounded the middle-sized living room lit the pitch-black space, confining dramatic scenery for the upcoming subject she had prepared with nerve-cracking intensity. Her body remained perfectly still as she spotted him sitting on the soft beige sofa, completely soaked in the artificial glow of the handcrafted lamp. Her face agonizingly contorted in a mixture of irrational amusement and frustration, her smirk alternatively turning into sheepishness and defensiveness. Cameron touched his muscular shoulder blade, marking her undeniable presence. She took a seat right next to his piercing state of mind and watched intently as his upper lip quivered in distress at a frantic pace.

"You were right," Cameron whispered with a hoarse voice, hoping she won't be forced to confront the root of their past infuriating war. Chase appeared to be puzzled, filing his mind in a momentary attempt to find a solution or a vital clue for the incipit battle of emotions. "We can do that together," she clarified quickly, inducing a faint glitter of hope into the conversation.

Chase's cheeks reddened instantly betraying the flood of contentment and happiness as his lips pursued an upside-down grin. He quickly enveloped his future life partner in a passionate and bone-crushing embrace, a single, unique watery sparkle surfacing the white orbits of his eyes.

"What made you change your mind?" Chase demanded after the fresh wave of subsequently euphoria. Cameron felt rummaged by his request, the situation spiraling into a labyrinth that was far beyond her grasp.

"You did," Cameron stated quietly, marching in a land of buried insecurities, her eternal wall of protectiveness falling to pieces as she continued, "After my first husband died, I instructed myself not to let anyone romantically involved in my life, but you managed to change that." Cameron stopped abruptly as his flexible thumb brushed her rosy facial bridge, her entire sensitive system jerking under his mesmerizing touch. "I went to search for you in the lunch break to see if you are available. One of the nurses told me that you got to do a shift in the pediatric ICU. I went in the neonatal area as I was told, and I just saw you standing there, holding that baby as if it was your greatest treasure," Cameron confessed, convincing her registering and judging mind that commitment isn't a prospect for letdown. "That is the entire guarantee I need," she chirped deliberately, a subliminal image rushing right in front of her peripheral vision.

Chase responded hastily, mixing eagerness and care in his meticulous words and actions. "You don't realize how much this actually means for me. I'm the happiest man alive. You gave me the only chance to prove that my screwed up childhood isn't a definite prospect," he explained, his heart defying the laws of physics as it flew over the edge of adoration.

"You'll get to repair your past, I assure you. We are a team and we'll face any obstacle together as a fusion," Cameron articulated, the hypothetical plot of an emotional cataclysm long-forgotten.

Suddenly, he focused on her definite silky warm of her features, memorizing all her curves and lines, immutably wishing for a future younger portrait of her palpable softness. The banality of being disorientated in a world of eternal promises doesn't even cross their minds as they melt in the amorous hug, the aftermath of her confession bringing to life his depth of longing. In his arms, her fear seemed subdued and strangely vulnerable, only mildly present. The outspoken truth finally transcended the comfortable confines of their casual present and Chase is more than willing to accept the scarcely dared hope.

The detailed plan of indefinite love finally got its confirmation.

Author's Note: Cameron finally accepting, yay! Another 4 chapters and we'll be able to feel the utterly good side of the upcoming newlyweds' adventure. Thank you so much for the grand number of views, I'm totally overwhelmed by your response.

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	8. Chapter 8 - Accuracy

Accuracy

"In all pointed sentences, some degree of accuracy must be sacrificed to conciseness."  
― Samuel Johnson, _Works of Samuel Johnson_

_The partial rays of sunlight which formed a serene, glowing canopy above the blossoming ash top seemed purely golden, the scented air feeling vitally refreshed after the rebel and empathic wind blew off most of its aromatic perfumes. The yellow aura finally filled the gaping hole of turmoil the scholar people managed to dig with avoidant desire. The grass was carefully protected by a comfortable layer of dried petals and dynamic shadows. The nearby hill glowed magnificently as the bloody sunset established in the multicolored horizontal direction._

_Robert Chase isolated in the natural nest only seconds after the appearance of the first nightly metamorphosis, his senses were overwhelmed by the energetic musk, a peculiar feeling of inconsequential remorse creeping up in his stomach as he settled peacefully under the counseling tree, looking for a brief refuge after the full extent of the aftermath of his own reckless pursuit._

_Chase felt the sour taste of loneliness weighing heavily on his shoulders, if he forced his imagination strenuously enough, he would picture Cameron's tiny and supple silhouette standing right in front of his longing eyes. He trembled at any slight inkling of her presence, childishly hoping for a miraculous save. A feathery sparrow crossed the fresh and soaked grass and Chase flinched horrendously, his breath painfully caught in his irritated throat, methodically crushing the air from his lungs._

_He lived in an alternative world of hopeless dreams and expectations, willing letting himself be prey to a masochist illusion. There was a silent chaos whirling in his head and a powerful sting of irony serving as one of his actual demons. He was not accusatory, damning or judgmental; he imperceptibly blamed his own persona for this aching situation._

_He was beyond tired of this stupid game of hiding and pretending, his plan of blissful ignorance destroying in seconds. All his shaky and unsteady breaths betrayed not only self-pity, but an excuse for self-loathing. "Why was the world so insensitive? Why were they in the center of this?" He repeated obsessively like a silent prayer, grinding his last nerves on all the possible senseless questions. He was, for sure, empty and cold to touch, but his forehead felt on the threshold of warmness. He never had the courage to look at the delineated stripes of the sky, so he instinctively preferred to spend the precious time on meaningless meditation._

_"Is this seat free?" Asked a feminine coming from a nearby minimal place which Chase couldn't localize at first. He spotted the familiar sheepish grin bent mercilessly behind the thickset branched. Cameron ignored the lack of a definite answer and slowly crawled in his secret spot, ultimately taking advantage of the outside stillness. She looked elated and utterly happy to have found him, her demeanor significantly improved after the direct rejection of his grasp. Some hazel strands hang loosely around her face and he found himself being mesmerized by the soft imperfection that cradled her truly angelic feature._

_"So, what's up? What are you doing here?" She asked vigorously, a contagious eagerness lacing her questions. Her breathing felt as though she has been running towards his presence, her uninfluenced guts conducting her carefully._

_"Just trying to rewind my mind," Chase answered attentively, sacristy showing his present scars as though he had conquered absolution on them. That was a blatant omission, a denial of his past behavior or maybe a futile attempt to erase them. The deep green of her eyes asked for sincerity and communication, but Chase was not ready to provide it entirely just yet._

_"Have you seen the schedule of the admission?" Cameron changed the subject purposefully, desperately trying to break the limit he had induced in a moment of vulnerability._

_"Yes, it just messed the whole final dates. It's almost impossible to apply at more than two colleges at the same time," Chase replied, a panicky energy sneaking in his admission. Deep down, he knew that the "doctor aspiration" would soon become a reality for him, but he still felt a slight sensation of fear destroying his carefully-arranged façade of acceptance._

_"I haven't decided where to go," she says adamantly, suddenly aware of the tension that shifts between them, caught in the hushed lull of the evening._

_He stiffened at her words, utterly not believing her perpetuating concern. "If you don't know where to go, how should I?" His question blurted out more bitterly than expected, the fragility of her sentiments still in jeopardy._

_"Look, I got really fed up with this entire plot you are trying to set up. They have no right to judge us and we aren't forced to stop meeting each other. I don't know what has got into you, but you shouldn't believe all the voices," Cameron shot back furiously, mercifully revealed the truth after the shrilling and restless week she had faced._

_Chase's face was pale, unexpressive as words stubbornly refuse to leave his hanging mouth. Her epiphany finally struck him, a faint stir of sympathy electrifying his body as he analyzed the capsule of detachment he has built. "Oh my God, I'm so sorry. I've been so thoughtless and insensitive the whole time. You are right; I messed up things even worse. Can we be at least friends?" He counters quickly, pleading for a simple confirmation._

_Cameron only nodded reverently, dreading the sour taste that had threatened their happiness. "So, now are you going to tell me what you're going to do?" She implied again, hoping that rejection was not imminent that time._

_"I think I'll go for med school and maybe put my file for medical engineering, too," he responded, the feeling of relief pervading all the utter helplessness he had experienced. "How about you?" Chase asked, swallowing the lump in his throat and calming all his previous nerves._

_"I think I'll go for med school, too, but I am going to apply at the University, too, just to be sure," Cameron exhaled heavily, eliminating all the weaknesses that had plagued her in the imagined affair._

_"I think acting suits you the best," Chase sputtered out, stunning her entirely with his futuristic imagination. Her delicate brows frowned deeply, stripe-shaped wrinkles crossing her feathery skin of her forehead._

_"You are saying all this just because you can check me out while rehearsals," Cameron challenged playfully, elation replacing the permanent grief that had pooled down in her stomach, consuming all her limbs._

_"Maybe," he admitted, receiving in response a girly and discrete blush. Cameron's face reddened instantly at the future idea of someone actually measuring and admiring her aesthetics, before erupting in a guttural laugh, which seemed somehow hopelessly naive._

_The tar-black sky folded into a plain of silvery stars, illuminating the tall grass and vividly agile wild flowers. Her throaty laugh got lost in the infinity of darkness, becoming only a deaf ode._

_"I still think nurses' course is for you," he said after a pregnant pause, compulsively needing to remind this old memory._

_Her muffled giggles faded in an instant back to the uncontrolled abandoned laughter. Cameron's head progressively bowed, deliberately choosing to rest it peacefully atop Chase's prominent clavicle. He was startled by her sudden exposure of affection, shivering slightly at her delicate touch. A little half-smile curved his lips upward as he tried to regain his steady and regular breath. He dreamed of paradise, heaven and other majestic places and for once, he lost himself in the earthly oblivion while caressing her curly and silken locks._

* * *

The tiny apartment seemed elusive with dark shadows, and bathed in sparkly moonlight, a simple flash of lightning, blindingly bright disturbed the dichotomy of perspectives. A crackle of electricity framed the pouring rain in the cloudy and grey sky, as in a grotesque and brutal manifestation. The low thunder was audible in the distance, chaotically announcing the heavy earthy smell of the storm. The trees bent ungracefully in the wind, a picture of an oppressive night drizzle coming fast towards the crowded city.

The passion that erupted in the small space of their shared apartment, burned down almost entirely, only post-coital glow and a melodically lull animating the momentarily stillness.

Cameron felt the soft satin sheets brushing tenderly her cold and slightly clammy skin, but she didn't bring herself to tuck further in the cozy warmness of the master bed as long as searing hotness radiated from her fiancée's accelerated beats. She nuzzled towards his protective touch almost instinctively, obviously struggling to set full contact, her strength already consuming, stolen by the frantic power of his tender embrace.

Chase felt paralyzed, utterly helpless in the pre-dawn bliss, his face obediently filled with love. He was not torn apart in multiple pieces, he was not shaking violently while forcefully chocking his sobs down his painful throat, he was not sitting in pure agony waiting for flesh to be vividly ripped from his still-alive body, he was locked in an embrace of reassurance, the prophetic dreams filled with anxiety finally leaving his mind. His fingertips were caressing her motionless forearm, directly stimulating the raw pores and Cameron found herself only purring incoherently at his gesture, satisfaction looming over stabile heart. Her breath had come to an even, the muscles to a point of overwhelming relaxation and all her stimuli to a top, just above her reach, excruciatingly unobtainable before.

Their exchange of lingering attraction seemed perfectly fitting after a fatal moment when they thought their future commitment was standing on shaky grounds and didn't have a solid foundation to last over the years. "Have you thought about her?" Chase intruded softly, breaking the spell of comfort, the sincerity in his voice resolute and unmistakable.

"About who?" Cameron asked sheepishly, her mind still in the drizzle of unleashed passion. Her soft voice echoed off the mute walls, her skin crawling with embossed goose bumps.

"About our daughter, of course," he replied gently, his hoarse and sleepy voice just above the volume of a faint whisper. A fluttering sense of nervousness tensed in his body as he realized the familiar enormity of his request.

He could feel Cameron convulsively stiffening under his tender touch, her breath coming unrecognizingly shallow and ragged as she wondered resentfully where the conversation would lead. "Why 'her', after all?" Cameron inquired a second time, as much as in act of going through her constant companion's mind.

"Obviously, we would have a girl, a little princess," Chase pleaded playfully, spectral reminders that this was the reality at that point in his tumultuous life calming his shivering palms. "I am sure we'll have a girl first and if we don't, we can always try again," he added quickly, hardly swallowing the thrill of anticipation that settled in the upper side of his neck. His words seemed enthralled in the air, heaviness flowing ungracefully in the air.

"I could have sworn that you wanted to have a daughter ever since that early case we had in the maternity," Cameron said, almost chocking on her newfound justification as he intentionally nibbled at her tiny earlobe, creating a whole new template of their future. "God, she's going to have you wrapped around her finger," She realized with a long and resplendent snort, the journey for their final happy accomplishment looking ridiculously small in front of their mutual confidence and unquestionably strength.

"Of course, daddy's little girl will have everything she'll want," he responded eagerly, the harbor of his preemptive trust blossoming into a worthiness of acceptance. "So, how do you see her?" Chase insisted eerily, coming closely to the verge of an exploding anxiety. He knew his question is basically an oxymoron without much resemblance, even without gait or steady posture, only playfulness motivating him to press the issue further.

"I see her as a little piece broken out of you. Same deep eyes, same light hair, same sense of humor and most importantly same brilliant intelligence," Cameron answered, only exuding contentment, momentarily stumbling in the tangled sheets and reaching for his oddly absent hand around her petite waist. "What do you want her to have?" She demanded, a strong sense of curiosity and permeating interest about the deeply private matter cursing down her spine.

"I wish her to have only one thing," He starts, a teasing and long pause plundered unjustly in the occurrence which was covered in a fine and functional level of childish torment. "Your curly hair, all those cute ringlets you get after showering in the lazy mornings," Chase revealed, a law of permanence and suddenness establishing quickly, rotting less deliberately and more spontaneously.

Cameron's eyes filled with hot, small tears at the subtle semblance he desperately prayed for, a final rescue from the outstanding grief and sorrow that had consumed his being in early adulthood. He brushed her lower eyelids carefully, delicately tracing the shadowy remain of her daily makeup and kissed the exact part of her hairline where he could find fine odors, a lavender scent instantly calming his rushing emotions he was no longer capable to overcome, even with all of his accumulated willpower and inner conviction.

For anyone else in the world, the night would sound like an impossible situation of denial, like an unsightly platitude designed to destroy or like a deliberate choice to condemn volition. For the drifting pair, the pre-dawn time is a flailing joyfully and transient chance for a misty and deep future together. The last part of the night seemed dreamful and reluctant to pass, prophetic visions blasting before their eyes.

**Author's Note:** Am I the only one seeing Chase with a girl? :) I mean, he was super sweet when he told Cameron his intentions and this just struck my mind. I'd have died if I had got to see him doing this on the TV.

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	9. Chapter 9 - Acquisition

Acquisition

"The kinds of purchases surveyed in the news generally sit well beyond necessity. In acquiring them, what we are after is rarely solely or even chiefly just material satisfaction; we are also guided by a deeper, often unconscious desire for some form of psychological transformation".

\- Alain de Botton, _The News: A User's Manual_

_Ominous clouds followed the echo of loud chatter through the large entrance, which seemed oddly crowded, people absently and grotesquely making their way towards the epicenter of the forthcoming-listed achievements. Regardless of the blocking company, all students shivered with anticipation, the long queue proving to be a test of perseverence and endless patience. A stinted group would take the advantage of their own fastness, the slightly hard and steady ground beneath their wobbly and tensed feet felt almost imperceptible. Some lonely hands hung loosely in the air, in a generic attempt to show their final surrender or their elusive frustration. Teeth were cringing inwardly at a frantic pace, an annoying noise of smashing and cluttering and an obnoxious sense of alarm settling peacefully in the small area._

_Robert Chase was trapped in the middle of the chaos, a silent surge of pain crossing his ears as a chattily sound erupted closely. The results were finally showed off, a moment he had been looking forward to for days, time passing excruciatingly slow. Chase focused, for a moment, elsewhere, mostly at an old and wrecked door which seemed rusted and almost on the verge of collapsing. He couldn't bear the thrill of disturbance crossing his tightened jaw, as though a hard piece of debris managed to destroy his flesh, creating a deep and bleeding wound. A chorus of euphoric shouts came from the end of the stuffed room, the first admitted people already celebrating their ultimate success, a future scenario that can spell both impassive mundanity and worthiness pride. An awkward conversation of doubts and mistakes made during the exam began behind his chiseled back, but he forced himself to ignore all the whispered opinions. Chase only needed to see with his own eyes either the absolution or the dissolution of his long-lasting dream to become a renowned surgeon._

_Rows and rows of people came from the call board, Chase's heart jumping agonizingly as he started to read their mixed reactions. There were dark faces, self-soothingly, distressful and filled with unnecessary seriousness as if they failed life itself and also relieved and exhilarating demeanors passing near him, making their way towards the exit, ready to start a new and compulsory chapter in their careers. Chase refused stubbornly to fall into misery, so he held his shallow breath until he was only steps away from the final results. His hands twitched nervously, a desperate need to know crawling on his cold skin. His eyes scanned the ridiculously-long list for a few strangled second, a breathless panic caused by a possible, negative incident that surfed all his vital impulses. After an irresponsible moment of slight tremor, Chase found the line that would change his dark history and lighten the emerging destiny, his chest tightening at the sudden pang of realization. "5. Robert Chase, 9, 75, Admitted," he read over and over again, his eyes wild with a stab of euphoria, thinly-veiled joy glinted in his pupils._

_He contemplated the success for a long minute, a free-spirited normal circumstance absentmindedly jolting in his limbs. All of a sudden, his charade of happiness was eclipsed by an unspoken constraint as his mind drifted to the unique and optimistic person that shared all his bizarre ideals. Vanishing spells of known reluctance passed near him like a past ghost, but he shrugged his quandary quickly off his tensed back, focusing back on the previous task. As his views seemed to become an expected interrogatory, he looked progressively more resigning, ready to suffer for Cameron's sake in a heartbeat. After a yearning second, her name appears on the list of gratitude, her name triumphantly appearing on the second spot, only a few decisive tenths obscuring her first victory in the field of medicine._

_A broad grin settled on his face, an ethereal and soft glow plastering his external features. He exited the majestic academic building quietly, no other interrupting obstacles standing in his way. The late-afternoon chill was more than welcoming, an opaque sense of warmness veiling his rushing thoughts like gentle rivulets of gold._

_Cameron stood motionless in the far distance, her back turned to his direction, as though she was hiding from the actual truth that indicated her only a path towards performance. The spring-hinted breeze played with her strands and despite the fresh swell of serenity, she remained coldly indifferent. Chase approached her, hoping the grand terminus didn't master doubt in her mind._

_"Ready to celebrate?" He asked, the feeling of surrealism mastering its way into his brain, the vile thoughts irrevocably alterated. He felt a strange necessity of protection for her being, a tactic he grew accustomed in the days when non-sense betrayed his trust in people he considered trustworthy and capable of socialization._

_"What for?" Cameron responded shortly, obviously fighting to keep her voice calm and steady, well masked by her eternal false demeanor of self-recollection._

_"You haven't gone inside, have you? You'll be more than pleased to see the list," Chase assured gently, his mind flowing to the persevered win which is in the terms of being revealed, innocently waiting behind a cover of swift condemnation and great torture._

_"I've never got the guts to go inside," Cameron admitted silently, her arms shaking with wooden exhaustion, tightening as time passed by._

_"Why not? You are aware of the fact you're smart and have potential, go and take a look, trust me," Chase attempted to convince, evidently rejecting the idea of a letdown, the normalcy of the outrun visible, almost touchable._

_"Would you come with me?" She accepted after a long pause, shifting uncomfortably in her standing position, chocking down her throat an elusive knot. She was only steps away from redemption, but her soul still felt heavy with an agonizing burden she was scarcely able to control, especially on the verge of collapsing._

_"Do you want me to?" Chase demanded curiously, the dizzying request blurring and simultaneously destroying all his bounds of knowing her genuine state of mind._

_"Of course, remember that I don't care of what people are talking and gossiping about. This is our admission and we should be able to see the result on our own," Cameron replied back furiously, again dismissing the poisonous words they endured in the past week._

_Jaw clenched, heavy decisive steps, silent sobbing breaths and a stuttering voice were rapidly outrun by a squeal of delight and exhilaration, her rosy cheeks already flushed from the sudden dose of adrenaline. Their dreams were on the last edge of becoming a reality, and their synchronized laughs only proved the scenario, further implying blissful oblivion and serious gratification in the near future that stood open and ultimately positive._

_Acceptance, perseverance and patience, all virtues of a life spend together in the enormity of medicine._

* * *

The air was truly sulky, saturated with a damp musty smell of the decaying leaves that transcend magnetically towards the ground, a natural parade of weightless mass falling with an exquisite grace. The outdoors greeted the dusk, only inky blots on the carbuncle sky breaking the spell of a grey and foggy evening, the sense of pure ozone truly unbearable, and the floral scent already dead in the stampede of magical transformations.

Allison Cameron felt completely paralyzed and motionless on the soft couch, the fluorescent light coming from the hanging neon outlining all her facial features, accentuating the exhaustion and worry behind her mask of impassivity. The clock was nervously ticking on the brightly-colored wall, announcing the passing seconds, keeping her awake despite her throbbing tiredness.

The old albums placed on the neat coffee table seemed seemingly distant and haunting, as though history was repeating itself. The bitterness of the situation looked oddly humorous, no protests against her self-pity crossing her mind. An accumulation of regrets deposited on her heart, an intangible line of discretion crossed without her expressed consent. Regardless of her sinking sorrow, she could easily acknowledge Chase's presence as he walked in the spacious living room with two steaming coffee cups in his hands. His habit of pampering was rather adorable; she was practically clinging to it every late night they got to spend together.

"Two days left until the wedding, excited?" Chase asked, still surprised by the stillness of her transient, ghostly thoughts which were usually replaced by feminine limitless chuckles.

Cameron was painfully silent again, staring blankly at the steam drifting off her cup, holding herself vigil and observant.

"Allison?" He insisted, an accidental cruel trick of fate and coincidence striking his memory as he spotted the albums lying carelessly on the edge of the table, in a fragile balance.

Cameron kept her face downcast and with a severe gulp of air, brought herself down to showing her bloodshot eyes, courage instantly fading behind a mask of grief and emotional anonymity. Her face was painfully thin and she failed miserably to sustain the tremor from her hoarse voice. She found herself at a loss of words, only her pale finger pointing at the albums stood as a way of communication. An impending disaster showed in the horizon, but the last dose of his perseverance came back flooding unbidden, ready to annihilate any doubt that was consuming her.

"It's okay, I am here, you can tell me what's wrong," Chase swallowed down a knot of pressure and held his breath waiting for a final response. He laced their matched fingers in her small lap, and Cameron found herself flinching reflexively, his impress imprinted on her soft skin, drawing an irregular pattern on her wrist.

She couldn't control her spontaneous need to fidget, valleys of anxiety creeping up in her back and neglecting to battle with the surge to survey the past.

"I found those today," Cameron stated clearly, her lower lip quivering in obvious distress. Only a few faint yellow highlights crept in the crisp colors of the chamber, illuminating her way towards confession. "I didn't even know they still existed," she continued, agonizingly failing to detach from the gray hall of negative thoughts which had settled in her mind. "This is my wedding album," Cameron sputtered out loosely, life's frailty preserving even the slightest suggestion the past was still present.

Chase looked at her intently for a moment before lounging with fierce determination for the set of images, one last strong bond with the obnoxious past. His hand drifted off and caressed every page in particular, fleeting images of Cameron and her late husband flashing before his eyes. Their faces seemed utterly fulfilled; her skin was painted with a rosy bloom nuance, a color she would turn into only when he dared to state an innocent compliment. This cruel reminder of a passed away person was purely a sweet torture for Cameron; her soul was cracking with every minute that passed until it sunk in a fresh wave of tears.

"Hey, it's okay. I understand the pain. It's always hard to move on, especially now that you are thinking you are making the same mistake all over again. But I can assure you that I'm into this for real, I'll be here for you no matter what happens," Chase said reassuringly, an arm coming behind her stiff shoulders, a comforting contact she acknowledged immediately and leaned reflexively back.

"Until death do us part, right?" She inquired bitterly, the hypnosis of unashamed and solitary feeling creeping in her center, her judgment completely obscured by lost feelings. Her teeth froze on the ceramic of the cup, casually bringing it to her pale lips until heat was strong enough to burn her sensitive skin. Chase's face was still blunt and tensioned, words refusing to cope with his instincts that conquered the insomnia of his half-lidded eyes.

"I am perfectly healthy and I intent to stay that way. No need to have somber thoughts. We should take advantage of the blissful pre-wedding days and let destiny decide for us," Chase replied slowly, an unknown shiver of a nod suppressing his ache. Uncertainty ingrained under his skin, challenging him to press the issue further until no bounds of doubt were present.

"You are right, it's time to throw away all this stuff," Cameron admitted, sighing heavily as formless impulses lurked in her mind.

"Don't ever do that! This is a part of you. I've committed myself entirely to you and I'll accept all you have experienced in your life," Chase said freely, the solidified weight of his personal underworld escaping from the faithless corners of his mind.

Cameron smiled faintly in response, unintentional implications of her words long-forgotten as she exhaled the sting sense of imprisonment out of her body.

"The wedding plans are all ready," she hushed delicately, mirroring the euphoria of commitment, the dilemma dying in the dusky breeze once she announced her full and prompt intention to settle down in a healthy relationship.

Chase only grinned proudly, not even analyzing the base of their upcoming legacy, coming up to the terms that being insecure is a mask of incredulity and naïveté.

He had fallen outside the realm of disappointment and regret and crept in the habitual and mundane world where relinquish and abandonment fade in front of devotion.

**Author's Note:** Sippy end, huh? Still, those last two chapters are my favorite, prepare to become hyperglycemic! :) Wedding and after-party coming up!

Read and Review! :*


	10. Chapter 10 - Assortment

Assortment

"A person isn't an assortment of body parts. A person is a collection of habits and decisions. "  
― Jarod Kintz, _Sleepwalking is restercise_

_The pouring rain soaked the autumnal decaying leaves and the frigid, refreshing wild water, flying back to a vital routine, a comforting mechanism of cycling changes. The nearby canyon seemed a trap of glassy sand, mastering a strange and rushing sensation of falling, levitating and floating on an imaginable mass of air._

_Allison Cameron lived in frenzy darkness, hazy and black funnel clouds yearning on the velvet sky, as the innocent dawn crept back and dissolved the nightmare she had been living in. An unforgivable sense of hesitation infused a changing demeanor in her veins and Cameron found herself hoping for a simple and relentless morning in order to retreat in a sanctuary of backed pillows, meditating and mentally preparing herself for the complexity that was soon to occur. The whole surreal situation practically dripped bitterness, an equal strange vibe of obsessive curiosity crossing her bounds and carrying her into a whole new dimension accompanied by resentment and guilt. Maybe this wasn't meant to be for her, the macabre simplicity of perfecting the broken humanity crushing even the last bits of trust she had saved as a reserve, condensed, dry and smooth, mixed with faith._

_She decided with a sudden rush of energy that standing in the crumbled bed all day was not a remedy; it was more like a silent process of nerve-enabling, ready to strike at any time. In a blink, she was already dressed, painfully panting for release, hastiness stumbling in her steps, ready to ambush this spontaneous promenade. It was early brunch when Cameron's steps unconsciously guided her towards the old and musky oak._

_She was only banking on the assumption that one particular person she sought for would be present, contemplating and alleviating her acid and twisted impulse to isolate herself from the opportunity and to crawl back in the unknown. She was staring empty-eyed at the road that extended endlessly before her heavy and raw steps, a sore tendon in her ankle suddenly protesting. The mind has shattered into foulness and naïveté, but an old reflex of perseverance mobilized her to keep marching until the infamous park was reached. The illusion of self-sympathy was intruding in her thoughts as though flippant contempt could be reached within her mental grasp. Cameron didn't even realize that she had been running, a twig from beneath her foot finally signaling the increased pace, the resonance of her heavy and irregular exhaling motions betraying only desperation. She was swimming in anxiety and molasses, her head spinning, remembering only an echo of shouts and cries that remained inaudible. The situation was utterly simply to condemn and to let go, deliberately lousing the battle with her own demons. Taking a breath, she shrugged the odd feeling that the bottom of this glitch was practically nonexistent, endless and scary, but for once, she was ready to dive directly in the unknown, the darkness finally turning into void._

_Without even processing and annihilating all the sides, Cameron arrived at the park, the tragedy almost null, but still ready to explode. She felt sick with overwhelming anticipation, the dynamite set on her soul making her eyes sting with impasse fire only at the unreal image. The magnificent spark of the lake seemed to be dying, the dark-circled flowers already fading in negativity, the whole atmosphere enveloped in her own selfishness of shallow doubts._

_She crawled under the tree blindly, cultivating numerous poisonous side-effects, and now only craving for relief and absolute forgiveness. Cameron sunk into the mental insecurity, not even acknowledging his presence opposite her shaken body. A look of knowing was oddly crossing his features as though he had already guessed what visions progressively destroyed her inner confidence._

_Cameron was bloated by his outstanding presence, a terminal fear blocking her mind to work correctly._

_"I don't know if I take the place," She parroted suddenly, blurting out and expressing equally an abject fear and a sudden gulp of provoked sickness._

_"Why not?" Chase shot back, painfully realizing all her outspoken intentions with an imaginable velocity that could make time stand still. A lukewarm wave of panic traversed his body, a coincidence of opinions branded his sight, his mind prominently affected._

_"Because I'm not prepared to deal with life and death. Becoming a doctor means dedication and rigidity and I'm not sure I can face all this. I've always been soft, I don't know if I can change. Or if I am willing to change," Cameron replied, standing perfectly still in the dim-lit abandoned sight. Shattering images of her falling into disgrace kept haunting her, clearly signaling that she should reconsider her ultimate decision._

_"Allison, I've seen you brushing past all those gossips and rumors. You're stronger that you can think of. You won't fail it, you are made for this. The result from the admission was just the suitable proof at the right time," Chase assured gently, willingly accentuating her name in order to draw a more personal and effective pattern. He was afraid of losing, of being disappointed, and her dismissing a unique chance only brought him on the verge of desperation, his mind stubbornly refusing to accept her ruining departure._

_"You need to see the negative part, too, because it is quite obvious. What if a patient dies in front of me? What if I don't know what to prescribe a dying human? So many variables and no answers," Cameron said, arguably challenging his ever-present damper of optimism. She protested weakly, sounding mentally defensive when all she wanted to hear was a confirmation of thorough responsibility, not a bitter denial of a flashing glitch._

_"Don't judge yourself too hard. First of all, we'll start the theoretical part and we'll know exactly how to handle such situations, you need to be confident and open to learning before perfecting," Chase assured her slightly clumsily, suffocating and chocking under his breath, instinctively preparing for an impending disaster._

_"And everything passes easier if you have someone by your side in good and bad times," he continued hoarsely, all his willpower transforming into dark ashes, almost eclipsing the bloody-stained dusk sky that was ready to become prey to the perceptible raw night._

_"I made a promise to myself not to let yourself go again," he assured raggedly, hiding behind a pathetic pretense of companionship. He held into the impossibility of love, but taught himself to overcome painless and insensitive the conversation that stretched into a mundane and close friendship mixed with oppressive and condemned courtship._

_His ghostly-white knuckles against her delicate cheek, lips locking instantly in a sensual and addictive motion shuddered thrills of private and connected confidence in both of their unsettled minds. As they broke the passionate embrace and gazed intensely into each other's piercing and deeply-colored pupils, they finally gained the absolution of assurance, lost in misty depths of affection._

_A loud and impatient rumble was sensed in the pitch darkened horizon and rain came cold and aggressive, but none of them broke the sensatory spell and moved._

* * *

The midday sunlight was genuinely radiating, celebrating with a parade of still-pale golden rays that particular day which symbolized only devotion and commitment. A green meadow was bathed in that humid light, plants already dry, stalky and deprived of any nutritive value. The cool, restful and shady world only scanned the tree tops that filtered the blinding light met overhead with a thick layer of direct freshness. The whizzing chirr of the insects and of the small and fragile birds were camouflaged behind the tall bouquets of spring jasmine and lavender. White and purple complemented each other perfectly, the impression of union more pregnant than ever. The gigantic gnarled spirals of petals that lied down on the length of the aisle joined the mixing colors, almost entirely masking the reeds and head-high marsh grass along with the soft white satin.

Chase waited nervously in the close proximity of the improvised chapel, his hands trembling anxiously as the guests' happy hum was torn between guttural laughter and polite giggles. The proud groom was trapped in a dichotomy of emotions, a new beginning arising in front of his eyes as he experienced a foreign and unexplored-before sense of fulfillment.

These whirling thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a sophisticated classical music, signaling the long-awaited ceremony. After brief seconds of mental preparation, new ambitions pressed into his fancy when the image of Cameron appeared at the end of the feathery-white path, holding loosely a bouquet of matching deep-purple flowers.

Occasional flashes of tenderness and love radiated off Cameron's angelic face, a thrill of utter excitement matching her heavy steps. Her dress seemed perfectly fitting, the soft material hugging all her detectable curves, and her naturalism looked transmissible, all products of her dreamy visions. Her hair was pulled back in a neat and braided bun, pride and elation already working inside her the glow of marriage.

Gathering all her scattered impulses into a passionate act of courage, Cameron made one last step and reached the spot of unification. She was glowing straight with sentimentality, as she glanced quickly in Chase's direction as she always did when she looking for reassurance.

The words of the priest seemed endless and anecdoted, only the pang of realization that their relationship would blossom into stability impressing them. Both their pulses leaped anew at the part where the vows required to be presented.

His soul seemed to be full of fire and eagle-winged as he started reciting his part, his thoughts already galloping in other realms.

"Allison," his words trailed off brokenly, reasonable jitter crawling back into place, "even though we had a rough start, you managed to show me that love still exists, that no matter how hard it is, people can get cured of the past. Together, we learned to be one, to support each other and I can't wait to start a lifetime." Chase concluded quickly, his vagrant thoughts already in full career.

Soft tears beamed in Cameron's eyes as she tried awkwardly to regain stability to continue. Her little frame seemed collapsed and shrinking, her tone was flippant and bumptious after the avalanche of confessions.

"I thought I was incapable of loving," Cameron's speech began flattered, her troubled shifting its load in her soul. "But that was until I met you, until we started all that first arrangement. You always proved to be gentle and caring and I have never felt more cherished until you started asking me out every Tuesday and finally until we settled down. I am still damaged and deprived, but in a life spent on the same front, you'll manage to heal all of them." Cameron finished with a chocked syllable and felt how sweet and reasonable the pale shadows of those smiling old-selves from some dim corner of their memories.

They found themselves being proclaimed husband and wife with joyful defiance, the youthful happiness contagious and rapidly present.

Her lips parted in a keen expectancy while his mouth quivered with imagined pleasure until their faces met in a serene smooch, her arms settling around his chiseled back, both falling back into the lightest melancholies of romance. The obnoxious applauding and the tight embrace stopped synchronically, a foreboding of some destined change came into their way, as they walked hand-in-hand along the mesmerizing scenery. Chase stopped promptly to exchange a high-five with his old companion, a half-breathless murmur of amazement and incredulity escaping Foreman's mouth when he saw the scenery in front of him.

The propitious sky was marbled with pearly white clouds, and seemed uneasily glowing. Underneath its power, a new couple of newlyweds stepped into the mystique unknown, a rhythmical torrent of eloquent prophecy flashed before their eyes as they recalled the satisfied sense of completeness when their lips ultimately locked after a period of ironic remarks.

And in the eternity of serenity and devotion, neither of them moved from the superb languor.

**Author's Note:** Chameron getting married, such a beautiful sight! *_* Everything that has left is the epilogue, stay tuned for it this week!

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	11. Chapter 11 - Actuality (Epilogue)

Actuality (Epilogue)

"No matter how many lies you use to disguise it or how many excuses you bury it beneath, the truth will never cease to be true."  
― Richelle E. Goodrich, _Smile Anyway: Quotes, Verse, &amp; Grumblings for Every Day of the Year_

_Immersed in secret schemes, the gym seemed to be a disco club, exactly resembling the closed atmosphere of an exquisite and reckless party. People kept dancing and moving irregularly around the dance floor as though the music was vitally lost in a delirious pace. Long tangled lines of silver streamlets hung loosely on the walls, the painfully obvious vintage sparkle present everywhere._

_Allison Cameron was immured in a trivial round of duty, just staring blankly at the swaying couples. Her hand traced the line of the tall glass almost methodically, an ineffable sensation of irritability lacing all her movements. Incapable of initiative or boldness, she just threw an annoyed glance at her dark-red dress which felt like a simple, transparent material that wrapped itself around her petite form. Involuntarily she sighed deeply; it seemed to exhale a silent and calm authority._

_Her sea-blue eyes scanned the large crowd again with dazzling tints of fancy, getting disappointed once again when they failed to spot someone known. The prom proved to be a bitter disillusion, tragically intolerable, exactly the opposite of what she had imagined only days before. She thought it was going to be a night of stupefying surprises, an evening of great discussions and spaces, wholly tranquil that would be all infinitely soft and refreshing to the eye._

_Cameron was aware of the fact that she shouldn't be disappointed, the unreasoning and careless insecurity long vanished from her mind. She was slowly drifting into the strangest aberrations as she watched the final party taking place. Lulled by dreamy musings, she seemed to become luminous with great thoughts, only imagining herself becoming a fulfilled doctor. Life flowed in its accustomed stream, and she was finally ready to admit that she was actually moving forward towards resolution._

_Still, she only wanted to set things straight with Chase, to assure him that she didn't kiss him out of redundancy or desire of distraction. She was entering the mild and mellow maturity of the age, and her instinct to organize her life was stronger than ever. Involuntary awkwardness and reserve still crept in her mind, but with a bolt of willpower she rejected them easily._

_Her body was way too frail for her moods as her mind was nourishing a dream of ambition. Cameron recaptured herself with difficulty, especially when a slow melody came and many pairs stood crowded in the middle of the dance floor which looked oddly-insufficient for all of them. She seemed to be wrapped in a veil of lassitude, the fact that she was utterly alone at one of the many bright-colored tables only amplifying her need to leave immediately. She regarded the surroundings stonily out of flint-blue eyes before standing up quickly and deciding that the prom had been an unpleasant experience for her._

_She strangled a fierce tide of feeling that welled up within her and slowly bowed her head, intentionally avoiding the conflicted gazes that numerous colleagues shot her._

_Struck dumb with strange and unsettled surprise, she felt her thin arm being caught like a vice. She turned around, strange capacities and suggestions of both anger and vehemence piercing her eye-sight as though she was already prepared to attack._

_"Already running away, Cinderella? You must need a new clock because midnight is still far away," a deep Australian accent spoke from her front, subtle indications of mental agitation lacing his words._

_Stung by the splendor and relief of this prospect, Cameron exhaled happily, something curiously engaging creeping up in her mind. A vivid shade of pink flushed her cheeks and forced a faint quivering smile as she allowed herself to linger for a few leisurely seconds. "At least my prince is here to find the shoe," she responded playfully, hints of tantalizing dancing across her lips._

_Chase permitted himself a delicate little smile when a mischievous idea crushed his mind. "Well, princess we might have skipped some important scenes. I don't remember any dance having taken place," he challenged comically, a conscious tumultuous rush of sensation making his feet feel strangely weak and trembling with anticipation._

_She stilled and trampled on the inward protest, his inkling twitted her merrily. Cameron was both weary and placated, but his convincing look was dimly appealing, so she gave herself into the momentarily excitement. She nodded mutely and blindly found his hand and squeezed his trembling palm, a gesture that proved to be exquisitely simple, but still meaningful._

_Taking the cue after a breathless moment, Chase slowly moves his trembling hands, guiding them to her hips. Setting all the sane traditions at defiance, he guided her until they reached the agitated centre of dancing._

_They both fell into abstracted reverie, as they swayed gracefully around, slowly. Cameron felt herself being carried off her feet by the rush of incoherent impressions, as though she had been waiting anxiously for this moment since a long time ago._

_She hugged the thought of her own unknown and unapplauded integrity, finally defeating all the past rumors that had been floating around for a few tormenting days. She stood on the ground with the most perfect dignity, his lead only empowering her rushing feelings. Sheer superfluity of happiness rushed through their systems and Chase just couldn't boil on the inside and exhaled a chuckle full of urgent haste._

_"What? Have I stepped on your toes?" Cameron asked amicably, her own childish laughter betraying the smitten aftermath._

_Chase looked at her intently, subtle suggestions of glow coming from his deep-blue eyes. "I was just thinking about we have been through, like hell and back," he started sarcastically, earning in response only a vibrant laugh of knowing. "If this way was how we were meant to go, I would go on it again today, just to get here eventually," he said, stimulating an ever deepening subtlety._

_Startled into perilous activity, he reached down and planted a quick and lingering peck on the rosy pallory of her cheek which flushed instantly into a vivid and obvious shade of red. In his eyes, she looked entirely innocent in her exuberant happiness, some dream-like images of losing her flashing in his mind. He gripped her body closer, with a sense of momentarily panic. Poignant realization arose within him and Chase only let himself savor the pressing sentimentality. Pledged with enthusiastic fervor, he only threw a glance at his partner who seemed lost in the same depth of euphoria. He was truly satisfied to have and in the same time, he was more than prepared to cherish the future._

_Chase preened his wings in a skyward flight towards the unknown, gladly imaging himself growing stronger and devoted with Cameron conferring stability._

_Everything proved to have a start._

* * *

Shadowy vistas of sylvan beauty could be found in every corner of the spectral garden, a display of happiness erupting from any corner.

Allison Cameron was engaged in a deep conversation with some of her relatives. She was absolutely engulfed by an indescribable picture of impatient and rushing glow, not even noticing her new-committed husband sneaking silently from behind and wrapping his chiseled arms around her thin waist, suggestions of veiled and vibrant feeling smittening him in unreality.

Cameron turned towards him instinctively, stung by the splendor of his stonily flint-blue eyes, filled with opulence. She just stood in front of his figure, eyeing him with frosty calm as though the answers to all her unattainable question were captured within him. The guests started to rumble with eagerness, anxiously waiting to see the bride and groom's waltz finally taking place. The trampled noise became alluring, but Cameron swept away all the opposing opinion with the swift rush of her enthusiasm.

"What do you say, Mrs. Chase, may I have this dance?" He spoke with hurried sweetness, completely eager to officially proclaim her as the only wedded wife.

Cameron shook their entwined hands grudgingly, her slight frown towards his formality quickly transforming into a quivering smile. Chase only smiled with fatuous superiority, and they shambled away with speed towards the wooden dance floor. He paused for a brief moment, stunned and comprehending that this was his reality. They both waited awkwardly for the melody to start, song that described perfectly their conjoined hearts and their passionate and blissful relationship. The title of the song was obviously suggestive, mimicking the melodious resonance of the bride's name.

Once they both fell in a harmony, moving gracefully in a lazy waltz, Chase started to rule autocratically, leisurely burying his face in the few loose blonde strands that cradled her face.

"I can't even believe we are here right now. It just looks like a great dream and I don't want to wake up just yet," Chase murmured, a civil rejoinder of his thoughts floating around his words.

Cameron's interest flagged, another dose of sweetness sounding quite appealing. "You can wake up, this is finally real. This is us now," she replied, her scarlet lip curled upwards.

In the tranquility of the embrace, Chase couldn't help adding a new statement, even more confident than before. "We are starting a lifetime together. It might sound cheesy, but I think it's important. During the getting-our-rocks-off phase, I could only fantasize about this," he admitted, accosting with trepidation the idea of growing stronger together, as a pair.

"I get that you fantasized about me?" Cameron asked rhetorically, a delicacy of humor polishing her elated grin. "We had an unorthodox history, but what matters is that we are here now, and all the lifetime that is following," she gave herself to a shockingly short day-dream which her imagination adrift, long lost in the image of the future.

"A lifetime full of everything we want. This really is the life I've been craving for, and I'm more than pleased to actually get to live it," he added lively, feeling an ironic rebound of her words, a sheepish grin crossing his face momentarily. He was aware of the flushed emotion, he was utterly detach from life, bathed in serenity.

"I wanted to eradicate that complex of having trouble when everything gets complicated. And only now I realize that I'm glad I didn't work on that because I can't ever give up on the only being that makes me happy," Cameron confessed, finally breaking the boundary of self-protection she had produced unwarily. Her imagination recoiled memories of them together, her heart fluttering with amusement as she mentally unreeled them.

"Me neither. I promise you that we'll be even more than happy," he challenged playfully, his ears singing with vibrating intensity of the secretive inner existence he got to feel only when she was chuckling under her breath.

"Disgustingly happy?" Cameron asked, her eyes were limpid and her beauty was softened by an air of languor. Her voice was full of temper, coaxing inflections of a child sneaking in her tone. Her soft laugh was swift and caustic, signaling another proof that she was indeed happy. His mind was completely dazed at the sight in front of him, wandering in a mist of memories.

"Absolutely!" Chase almost shrieked with excitement, his lips seemed to be permanently parted in a good-humored smile and his troubled spirit shifted its load, relieving itself of any unnecessary burden. His youthful zeal was contagious, his thoughts galloped intensely as marriage bliss came in contact with his mind.

The pale shadows of those who smiled from some dim corner were sweet and reasonable, hope settling silently in the background. The whole atmosphere was glowing with haste, everyone looked dreamy, refinements and little chorus of awestruck noises came into the light. Fragments of the touching melody started to fade, but not before the newlyweds exchanged a piercing loving gaze. Fugitive felicities of thoughts and sensation erupted from the crowd in an attempt to congratulate the pair. Full of majestic tenderness, Chase and Cameron made their way towards the awaiting public, knowing that after that dim maze of tradition, stood their future, a life built together.

They are still going straight, as if by magic, to the inner meaning which was fated since the very beginning.

**Author's Note:** I can't believe this is already done! It has been awesome to write and my next projects are quite ambitious, a novella as follow-up for "Lockdown" and a sequel for "Ticking Clock". Stay tuned for them this autumn!

Read and Review! :*


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